North Charleston, South Carolina. Thousands of families in the Lowcountry will get assistance this Thanksgiving because to Seacoast Church and hundreds of volunteers dedicated to combating food insecurity year-round.
Parishioners spent the week donating food, while volunteers cooked, carved, packed, and delivered Thanksgiving meals around the area.
The outreach reached almost every aspect of the Lowcountry, from charitable partners to correctional facilities and low-income neighborhoods.
Ciarrah Lindsay, the Local Missions Coordinator, stressed the continued need.
“There’s a huge homeless population in North Charleston itself to where we get to just help serve and feed them today,” according to her.
Although Thanksgiving attracts a lot of volunteers, Lindsey believes the mission lasts long after the holiday.
“Thanksgiving provides a great opportunity to make a specific meal for a holiday, but we do food distributions all throughout the year, every week,” she told me.
Lindsay noted that several ministries help the homeless and needy community several times per week.
“There are several street ministries in Charleston that distribute cooked meals to various homeless communities. We undertake grocery distribution for folks to help them meet their basic food and shopping needs.
This year’s outreach extended to a variety of partners, including the Hope Center, My Sister’s House, and even Lieber Correctional Facility. She also mentioned that Thanksgiving volunteering frequently leads to year-round commitment.
“A lot of volunteers are just used to serving on Thanksgiving Day then they’ll stick around for the rest of the year,” Lindsay told the crowd.
Averoi, a college student, visited with her family for the first time.
“Normally we do the Turkey Trot but this year we decided we want to come out and serve people with our church and make an impact on people’s Thanksgiving morning who might not have family or might not be able to get food right now,” she told me.
She believes that serving raises awareness of the community’s concerns.
“We could do things like this every day; it’s vital to look around your town. “There are so many people, including your next-door neighbors, who may be struggling,” she explained.
Averoi also emphasized the value of kindness, particularly during the holiday season.
“Even if you don’t believe in God, it’s still necessary to love others around you. “You can be a light any day of the year by getting involved in your community,” she explained.
For volunteer John Maxwell, his first experience was eye-opening.
“This is my first time, so it’s awesome to come out to see so many people that want to start their mornings this way it’s great to see people driving through that have a need and connect with people we’ve never met before.”
Maxwell urged others to volunteer, stating that frequently the hardest thing is taking the initial step.
“The first step is sometimes the hardest step, which is just showing up I was welcomed with open arms take that action step and be open to really impacting another person’s life.”
Volunteer Andrew Smith, who is in his third year, shared Maxwell’s sentiments.
“It’s just, again, a reminder for all of us that Thanksgiving brings us there to help our neighbors it’s really special to be a part of it.”
Despite Charleston’s beauty and renown, many citizens are food insecure and homeless.
Volunteer John Nesco noted that, despite the fact that food insecurity and homelessness are serious issues in Charleston, it might be impossible to notice them all. He stated that anyone may help meet the problem.
“Wherever you think you can get involved, you can get involved there are so many different places where you can find community that is going out to serve the underprivileged,” according to him.
After three years of service, he claims the impact is personal.
“I just see what an incredible difference it makes in the lives of everybody that we touch we’re honored and blessed that we get to do it.”
Seacoast Church’s Thanksgiving outreach began in 2009 and has grown each year as the community’s needs have increased. Meals were given to The Hope Center, My Sister’s House, the Adopt-a-Block charity, Lieber Correctional Facility, and persons without housing throughout the Lowcountry.
The church welcomes the community’s continued participation. Volunteer activities, contributions, and year-round ministries assist to ensure that no family goes hungry, not only during the holidays, but every week of the year.
